Clothes hanger



Nov. 24, 1959 Filed Aug. 25, 1958 216 i l8 i *4O 18 ZGJ' [4 L 37 I INVENTOR .6' F 1&5 w y ATTORNEY Unit W Pam O CLOTHES HANGER Morty Fay, Miami, Fla. Application August 25, 1958, Serial No. 756,781 2 Claims. (Cl. 223---92) This invention relates to a clothes hanger and pertains more particularly to certain improvements therein effecting ease of manufacture and permitting several hangers to be disposed in stacked relationship while in use.

Of primary concern in connection with this invention is the provision of an improved manufacturing technique for clothes hangers and in which the body of the hanger is provided with an opening in the central region thereof for exposing a portion of the shank of the hook by means of which the device is suspended from a suitable pole or the like and through which suitable machinery is permitted of operation so as to deform a portion of the shank of the hook and thereby retain the hook in physical connection to the hanger body.

A further primary object of this invention relates to the provision of a particular type of hook construction for clothes hangers which is adapted to co-operate with a generally similarly formed hanger whereby two or more such hangers may be disposed in stacked relationship, that is, with one or more of the series of hangers being suspended from and supported by the hanger immediately thereabove and with the cross arm body portions of such hangers disposed in vertically spaced relationship so that each of the hangers may be used and occupied by garments and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved type of clothes hanger having laterally projected supporting arms joined together in a central portion which is provided with a vertical bore and with a transverse opening interrupting such bore and exposing therethrough the shank of a hook element received in such bore and the exposed portion of the shank being deformed through the opening so as to prevent withdrawal of the shank from the bore.

A further object of this invention resides in the construction of a clothes hanger wherein the central portion of the hanger body adjoining the two laterally projecting arms thereof is provided with an outstanding flange defining a pocket therebeneath and with the hook of the hanger having in its central uppermost portion a laterally extending loop for engaging around the shank portion of a similarly formed hanger and with dependent portions of the hook being laterally ofiset in the direction of the loop so as to engage beneath the flange of the similarly formed hanger and to be disposed within the pocket defined thereby so that the hook is nested at least partially therewithin to locate such similarly formed hanger with respect to the first hanger and to retain the same in engagement therewith.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved form of the clothes hanger having a body provided with a pair of laterally projecting arms joined together at a central portion of the body and wherein the major extent of both the arms and the central portion is in the form of a relatively thin sheet-like web, the geometric center of the body being provided with a generally cylindrical and vertical disposed boss having a vertical bore therethrough and with the boss being interrupted intermediate its length by a transverse opening therethrough, the hanger having associated therewith, a hook having: an elongate shank disposed within the bore and projecting at least partially into the lower portion of the boss below the stated opening and with such shank being deformed within the area of the opening to a shape such as to prevent withdrawal thereof through the uppermost portion of the boss, thus retaining the hook physically to the body of the hanger.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clothes hanger construction wherein the hanger body is provided with a laterally projecting flange along the upper edge thereof which extends outwardly on opposite sides of a sheet-like web portion forming the major portion of the hanger body such that the hanger body is of generally T-shaped configuration in cross section and with the central portion of the body joining the two arms thereof extending vertically upwardly above the arms so that the flange forms with the web a pocket in the central region of the hanger body, the hanger being provided with a hook having a shank swivelly connected in the central portion thereof and with the upper end of the hook having a centrally and uppermost disposed laterally projecting loop for extending around the shank portion of a similarly formed hanger and with portions of the hook immediately below such loop being laterally offset in the same direction as is the loop whereby to be received within the pocket of a similarly formed hanger such that two or more hangers may be disposed in vertically stacked relationship.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing a pair of hangers constructed in accordance with the invention and disposed in stacked relationship with each other and illustrating the manner of inter-engagement therebetween;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of a section line 22 in Fig. 1 and illustrating the offset relationship of certain portions of the hook to be disposed within the pocket of the upper hanger;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the plane of section line 33 in Fig. 1 and illustrating the formation of the pocket in the hanger body and the disposition therein of the corresponding portion of the hook such that the hook is seated within the pocket and is retained properly upon the upper hanger thereby;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section as indicated by the section line 44 in Fig. .2 further illustrating details of the hook construction and its disposition within the pocket in the upper hanger;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial elevational View with portions thereof broken away and illustrating the manner in which the shank of the hook is deformed to retain the shank connected to the hanger body and yet permit a swivel connection therebetween.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, reference numerals 10 and 11 indicate in general a pair of clothes hangers constructed in accordance with this invention, each including a pair of laterally and oppositely extending arms, 12 and 13, joined together in a central portion 14 of the hanger body and which central portion extends upwardly above the arms 12 and 13 in the manner illustrated. Each such hanger also includes a hook indicated generally by reference character 15 having a shank portion 16 connected to the central portion 14 of the hanger in a manner more specifically described hereinafter and in such a way as to effect a swivel connection between the hook and the hanger body.

As can be seen most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the major portion of each hanger is constructed so as to have a relatively thin sheet-like web 17 bounded upon its upper edge by a transverse flange having portions 18 and 19 projecting laterally on opposite sides of the web. By reason of this construction and by virtue of the fact that central portion 14 of the hanger body is upwardly projected relative to the arms, a pocket is provided in the central portion on each side of the web 17 as can be best seen in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein such pockets are indicated by reference characters 20 and 21.

Each hook 15 in addition to the shank 16 is provided with a generally curved hook portion 22 having at the uppermost central region thereof disposed substantially vertically above the shank l6 and in vertical alignment therewith a loop 23 which is horizontally and laterally extended from the plane of the hook itself and which loop 23, as can be best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, is adapted to extend around and partially embrace that portion of the shank 16 of the next uppermost hanger which projects upwardly from the clothes hanger body.

Fig. 4 also serves to illustrate the fact that the loop 23 provides a supporting ear which rests upon the uppermost surface 24 of the stated next uppermost hanger, thereby suspending the lower hanger therefrom.

The terminal end 25 of each hook as well as the major portion 26 thereof joining such hook to the shank 16 is laterally inwardly offset with respect to those portions 27 and 28 immediately joining the loop 23 with such portions so that the portions 25 and 26 extend into one or the other of the pockets 20 or 21 as can be best seen in Fig. 3, to thereby retain the hook firmly engaged with the next uppermost hanger and to prevent relative swinging therebetween and rendering it diflicult for accidental disengagement of the hangers from each other.

As can be best seen in Figs. 1 and 3, it is preferred that the width of the book be such as to fairly firmly seat within the pockets 20 and 21 so as to rather snugly interengage two or more of the hangers in the manner illustrated, Fig. 3 illustrating at 30 and 31 the contacting of the hook against the inner surfaces of the flanges 18 or 19 such as the case may be.

As is shown most clearly in Fig. 5, the central region of the central portion 14 of the hanger body is provided with the vertical boss 32 which is of generally cylindrical configuration and which is provided intermediate its length with an interruption in the form of a transverse opening 32 so as to divide the boss into the upper and lower sections 34 and 35 respectively. The shank 16 is elongate and projects completely through the upper boss section 34 and at least partially into the lower boss section 35, such sections being provided with aligned bores 36 loosely receiving such shank. The intermediate portion of the shank which is disposed through the opening 33 is, during manufacture, deformed as, for example, as indicated by the reference character 37 to achieve a shape such as to prevent withdrawal of the shank through the bore 36 and yet which will permit the shank to be swiveled with relation to the hanger body preferably, such deformed portion 37 is effected merely by flattening same as can be best seen in Figs. 3 and 5.

The deformation or flattening of the shank is easily achieved during fabrication of the hanger by virtue of the fact that the opening 33 easily permits the introduction of a suitable tool into contact with the shank for this purpose. The hanger body itself is preferably provided with a reinforcing flange or rib 40 which joins with the upper flanges 18 and 19 and extends along the lower edge of the body and which joins vertically extending ribs 41 and 42 bounding the boss sections 34 and 35 and spanning the opening 33 therebetween. In this way, particularly in the region of the opening 33, a suflicient reinforcement is provided to result in longevity of the article.

I claim:

1. A clothes hanger construction comprising a body having a pair of laterally directed arms joined together in the central portion of the body, said body at least in the central portion thereof having the major extent thereof formed in the manner of a relatively thin sheetlike web with such web extending upwardly above said arms, a laterally projecting flange bounding the upper edge of at least said central portion of the body and defining, in conjunction with said web a laterally open pocket beneath such flange, a hook assembly having a shank connected to the central portion of said body and extending thereabove, said hook having a curved portion at its upper extremity provided centrally thereof with a laterally offset loop for engaging about the said shank of a similarly formed hanger, and portions of said hook immediately below said loop being laterally offset in the same direction as said loop so as to be disposed within the confines of the pocket of a similarly formed hanger.

2. The assembly as defined in and by claim 1 wherein the width of said portions of the hook immediately below the loop corresponds to the width of said pocket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 780,681 Peto Jan. 24, 1905 2,318,664 Bolten et al. May 11, 1943 2,370,391 Bolten et a1. Feb. 27, 1945 2,391,661 Watkins et al Dec. 25, 1945 2,460,438 Treiman Feb. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 150,028 Sweden May 17, 1955 

